Heat-generating furnace.



W. THOMAS L A. MANWARNG.

HEAT GENKATING 'FHNMX APPLICATION rum) JULY v Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. THOMAS a A. E. MAINWRING. HJT GENERATING FURNAGE APPLICATION HLED JULY 9.1914,

Patented Feb. 9, 1915 3 SHEETSSHBET 2.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

WALTER THOMAS AND ALBERT EDWARD MAINWARING, 0F NAXAIMO, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

HEAT-GENERATING FURNACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' PatentdFeb, 1915.

Application iled July 9, 1914. Serial No. 849,924.

To all whom. 'it may concern Be it known that we, WALTER THOMAS andrALEirr E. MAiNwAnIN-G, subjects of the King of Great Britain. residing at Nanaimo,

in the county of Nanaimo and Province of' tities of low-grade fuel, such as mine waste' or `refuse, lignitev and lignite coal, wood waste and other waste material throughout the continentv of America, and in fact the whole world, which. cannot or is not/ successfully utilized for heating purposes, for the reason that the furnaces in general use are not adapted for generating high and uniform heat from such class of fuel. There are mountains of cheap low-grade fuel in Canada and the United'. States which is not used for heating purposes by reason of the lack of a` suitable furnace or generator to consume it,:to 'gasify.it, burn' the hydrocar-A bon gases', produce perfect' combustion, and develop or obtain the highest possible'caiorific value froinsuch fuel.

l-Ve have devised a heat generator which overcomes the difficulties heretofore .encourf tered in burning low-grade fuel, and which will produce the beneficial and advantageous results above `mentioned in a thoroughly practical and scientific manner.

with tliesmoke. nuisance and` at ,the same time eieetiiely utilize the cheap low-grade fuels. as weliai-'e conclusively demonstrated by months of practical operations of apurabei' of our lient generating," furnaces.

The general object of ourinventioii, therefore, is to provide for generating high heat under perfect control. froinlow-grade fuels,.

g We will, with our heat generator absolutely do awayvr by wholly or partiallyI coking the fuel,v liberating the rich hydrocarbon gases, coinpletely burning such gases with hot air, producing `erfect combustion, alsoburning the coked nel and maintaining a regulated temperature at'anlv desired degree.

One of the special objects of our invention is to provide for coking and gasifying low-grade fuel and producing two rates of combustion at variable but controlled temperatures,one a comparatively rapid combustion of the gases at a high temperature, and a slower combustion 'of the fuel at a lower temperature, whereby any desired heal or temperature may be obtained lwhich is best suited to the work to be accomplished.

Another objectis to provide. for subject'- ing coal or a low-grade fuel .to carbonization or coking in a semi-retort, thereby liberating the volatile hydrocrbon gases and vapors and injecting the saine by means of a jet or current of high pressure air into' and through a body of ignited or incandescent coked fuel, whereby the.'-richihydrocarbon vapors are converted into-fixed `gas, coniposed principally of hydrogen, light earbureted hydrogen and .carb'on' monoxid;

burning such gases with heated` secondary air supply in a combustion zomer-producing perfect combustion andproducingjthe`A highest possible efficiency. Both the `pri mary and th'e secondary combustion in our heat generator are under perfect control, so that the exact temperature required may be obtained. l s

Other objects and purposes of ourv invention lwill appear in the Vdetail description of the apparatus and its operation below.

The matter constituting our invention `will be defined in the claims.

lVev will nowY describe thev details of lcon-."-

struction and operation of our heat'gcnerating furnace by reference tov the accompanying drawings,Y in whichf y ,Figure 1, represents a longitudinal seq tion, with parts in` elevation, of our" furl' nace, showing a Atubular steam' boiler mount? ed thereon. Fig. 2, represents ahorizontal section through the furnace on the irreguI lar line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, representsl av with lire brick, and erect on a concrete founsectional detail on enlarged scale, showing a Buxisen injector on a hollow grate bar. Fig.

4, represents a detail view of a modified con;

datin X,`and with an upwardly inclined top 1, to provide a heating chamber for the inclined coking retort. The furnace l,

is 'provided with a* fuel and primary combustipp chamber 2, a grate composed of hollo b s 3 and 22 resting on cross'supporting ibrs 4, and an ash pit 4.A The chamber 2,'is provided with a front opening and door 5, for clinkering and stoking the bed of fuel. vAn ash door 6, is'provided. vThe coking and fuel feeding retort 7, may be set in an inclined position as sbt-wn, or Ein a vertical" or horizontal position, and is provided with a mouth piece 8,

having a tight fitting lid or. door 9, constructed in any well `known manner. The retort-is'supported in a combustion cham# berlO, which completely surrounds and incloses it, so that it may be subjected to a high'temperature for coking the coal or other low AVgrade fuel and liberating rich volatile hydrocarbon gases and vapors. A.

combustion chamber` 10, of comparatively large capacity is provided above the body .of fuel onthe grate for the secondary and complete combustion of gases. At the rear and horizontal part.of the'top of the furnace is seated a vertical tubular boiler 12, having aystack 12, a steam 'pressure gage 11, a safetyvalve 11, and a water gage 11".

An-outlet pipe 13, having a valve-g, mayV connect with the combustion 4chamber 1Q, for conducting off hot gaseous yproducts .to any desired place of use.

We wish it understood that instead of4 mounting a steam boiler o n our heat generator, a baking or roasting oven, or a kiln orother device to be heated may be located at the rear of the generator or connected therewith in any suitable mannerfor most effectively utlizinggthe large volume of highly heated products generated.

A .positive air blower 14, of any well known kind, and having an air inlet k',- is

I .mounted in any convenient position, and has an air blast discharge pipe17, with which connects an air supply pipe 15, having a valve a, leading to a secondary air 'heating fuel.

coil 16, located in the top of the boiler or in any flue or conduit for hot gases, whereby it 0may be heated. The air blast pipe 17, projects into an injector 13, in which it terminates with a contracted nozzle 17", Fig. 5, to act as an exhauster .for drawing gas and vapor from retort 7. A pipe 20, connects with the mouth-piece 8, and with the injector las shown. At the outlet of the in- Y jector, a pipe 19, is extended to the hollow grate bars 3. Pipe 19, will therefore coliduct mixedgas and high pressure air to part of the hollow grate bars, particularly to those marked 3. A second branch p ipe 21, having a valve c, Aconnects with pipe 17, and leads to the side hollow grate bars 22, in the furnace.'- g f Any desired number of Bunsen injectors y 25, will be connected in the grate bars 3, and 22. To' forman injector, a nipple 26, Fig. 3, is screwed into the top of the hollow ipe or bar 3, and is inclosed in an injector' bell 27, which is held in place by a spider, or in other desired manner. The construction of grate bar and injector may be modified-as shown in Fig. 4, in which'is shown a' solid grate bar 28, having conical openings 29; A pipe 23, for air blast or mixed air and gas is arranged below bar 28, and is provided with a nipple24, projecting up into the conical opening or bell 29, for pro ducing a Bunsen-burner Haine. These Bunsen injectors will draw air from the ash pit and mix it with the gas or gas and air from the hollow -pipes 3, and force it up into the body of ignited or incandescent fuel as the case may be. The Bunsen injectors 25, on the air bars22, will also draw additional air from the ash 'pit and force it up into the body of fuel, producing a forced draft 4and rapid combustion particularly of the rich gases and vapors supplied by pipe 3. A hot air pipe 30, ha`ving a valve al, connects with the air heating coil 16, at the top of the boiler Aand with the secondary air duct 31, inthe side walls, which. ducts have numerous ports 32, opening into the -sec-' fuel. A branch pipe 3,5, having a valve e, connects with pipe'19, and leads into' the duct 3l, or connects-by a pipe 36, havinga valve h, with air pipe 30, atthe rear end of thezfurnace,l so that the mixed gas and air. blast can be passed with hot air from pipe 30, into the secondary air duct 31. We have found it advantageous in some conditions to thus burn all or part of the rich hydrocarbon gas in chamber 10, above the body of vidently partof the gas may be burned in the Bumseninjectors at the grate and part in chamber 10, above the solid fuel, according to the character of the gas and vother lconditions present. A` Water supply pipe 33, having a valve f, connects with the ash pit and supplies 'it with the. necessary water to be evaporated. The Water vapor or steam' is drawn into the Bunsen inyectors and forced into the incandescent fuel where it is decomposed into hydrogen and carbon inonoxid, thereby adding to the supply of combustible gas in the secondary combustion chamber.

The operation of our heat generator is very simple and may be conducted as follows: A body of fuel is placed on the grate and ignited and burned, and the coking retort charged with coal or waste fuel. The air blower may be started and an air blast supplied to the hollow grate bars. AS the temperature rises in thefurnace, the fuel in retort 7, will be coked, and hydrocarbon gases evolved. High pressure -air will now be admitted to the injector 18,' which Will draw the gas and vapor from the retort and forcev them with air into the Bunsen injectors 25, and thence into the incandescent fuel where primary combustion is wholly or partially effected. Steam will also be drawn into the injectors and discharged into the fuelwhere it will be decomposed. All the gases will be broken up to form hydrogemlight carbureted hydrogen and carbon monoxid. The volume of gas will be largely increased and the hot gas passing through the body .of fuel will be met by, and intimately mixed With the secondary hot air from the ports 32, resulting in perfect combustion in chambers 10 and 10, around the coli-ing retort. The socalled smoke will be completely consumed and the smoke nuisance thus overcome. The coke will be, at suitable intervals, pushed down into chamber 2, and fresh fuel supplied to the retort in any desired manner. The body of fuel in chamber 2, will be regulated andist'oked by bars through the door 5. The* ashes will be removed as required through, door' 6. A shallow body of water will be maintained in the ash pit to supply steam as above described. Two different rates of combustion may be established and maintained, first the slower cornbustion of the fuel supplied with .air 'from the hollow grates 22, producing a comparatively low temperature;.and second, a more rapid combustion of vthe gases with air, producing a higher temperature. -Both of these rates. ofcoxnbustion will be controlled by. controlling the-air and l,gas admitted to the combustion chambers. Any desired heats or temperatures canvthus. be produced and maintained, as may be best suited'to the work to be performed.

`The arrangement of coking retorts 7 shown in Figs. G and 7 is particularly adapted V'for-marine steam' boiler furnaces, in which a 'deep fuel bed is preferably used in chamber?. The' retorts 7L are supported on shelves at each side of the furnace and may be partially surrounded with lues l0b for hot products, and are provided with a number of bottom yopenings 7" for discharge of coke into the combustion chamber. The construction and operation of the other parts may be substantially as above described.

In case a small, inexpensive installation is desired, the coking chamber 7c and fuel chamber 2, Fig. 8, are made in single inlclosing walls and separated by a partition 40, having an opening 41 connecting the chambers, whereby hot coke may be pushed from the coking chamber back into the combustion chamber. One Bunsen burner 25 on an air pipe 22 may open into the coking chamber for supporting' a low or .smothered combustion, suitable for coking or charring the fuel. The chamber 2 will be provided with hollow bars and injector burners for gas and air as above described. -The hot products may be passedv ofi' through a Hue l0d to any desired place of use. A steamjet gasexh'auster and air blower-1'f8 may be used with this heat generator. 'lIhe coking retort may have an enlargement`7, to provide a gas receiving chamber when the retort is opened for feeding or discharging fuel. A rotary gas exhauster 18" may be connected in the gas outlet pipe 20,v instead of an air or stem jet exhauster previously described. Air inlet pipes 21 may be placed in, or connected with, the retort or chamber 7v Afor supplying the requisite amount of air to hasten the coking operation. Gas drawn by the exhauster 18b may be forced directly into the hollow bars 3, and thence through the injector burners, thereby drawing in air or steam and injecting it into the body of incandescent fuel in chamber 2,where complet/e combustion is effected and a high heat produced The high efficiency of our generator is largely ell'ected by the operationr of breaking up .the heavy hydrocarbon vapors and gases, generated in the retort, by the operation' of forcing the gases, vapors .and air d1- rectly into certain areas of the incadescent fuel, as by means of the Bunsen injectors. This we have found much more effective than supplying air under pressure under the whole grate area, which latter we have' found absolutely unsuitable for burning low-grade fuel. By use of a suitable n'umber of Bunsen injectors and air under pressure, clinker is formed in cone shaped chunks around and over each injector and c'an be easily removed Without ,withdrawing the tire or lowering the temperature of the cnerator. l

I aving described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent, is

1. ln a heat generating furnace, the combination with a coking and gasifying re-v tort, of an air blast jet device for drawing oh' the hydrocarbon vapors and gases, mix.- ing them with air and pipe connections for forcing the mixture under pressure at localized points directiy into a body of ignited or incandescent fuei in the furnace for converting such vapors and into fixed gas and producing perfect combustion of thefuel. In a heat generator, the combination with a foei and combustion chamber, of a coking and gasifying retort opening into said-fuel. chamber, an injector burner openinginto the feci chambers, means connecting with the retort for drawing off the-liberated hydrocarbon vapors and gases, mixing air therewith and forcing the mixture under pressure into said injector burner and thence into the bodj of incandescent fuel for converting the volatile vapors into fixed gas, burning the gas and producing perfect combustion of the foei.

8. In aheat' generator, the combination with a vfuel and combusti/'on chamber, of a cokingv and gasifying retort through which fuel is fed to| said` chamber, means connecting with the retort for drawing of the liberated hydrocarbonvapors and gases, mixing'air therewith, and forcing thel mixture to the' 'body' of ignited fuel in said chamber,

hollowfgijate bars, having openings into' the fuel chamber, anda pipe connecting the gas and'ir forcing device with said hollow grate for reducing perfect coni'rmstion of thefuel an gases.v

4. Inyvagjlieat generator, the combination with afifufel'- andcombustion chamber, of a coking V andgasifying vretort through which fuel is fedto said'cha'mber, means connecting with "the retort for, drawing. off the lib- 40 erated hydrocarbon vapors and gases, mixing air therewithfand forcing the mixturev to the body o f'ignited fuel in said, chamber, a hollowy grate bar having lone or more Bunsen injectors connectingV therewith and opening-,into the fuelchamberand` a pipe connecting the gasand air'forcing device with said hollow lbar for producing perfect combustion of Vthe fuel and gases.

v5. In a heatugencrator, the combination with a fuel and combustion chamber, of a coking and gasifying retort inclosed in, and opening into "said chamber, an injector exhaust device connecting-with theretort and having an air inlet, a hollow grate bar having one or more Bumsen injectors opening into the fuel chamber, and apipe connecting the injectorwith said hollow .bar for producing perfect combustion of the fuel andV gases. Y i Y 6. In a heat generator,l the combination with a fuel and combustion chamber, of a coking and gasifying retort opening therein, an air and gas injector, an air forcing device lconnecting with the injector, a gas escape pipe connecting the retort wlth the injector,

a grate bar having one or more Bunsen injectors, and a pipe connecting the air and gas injector with said Bunsen injectors for producing perfect combustion of the fuel and gases.

7. In a heat generator, the combination with a fuel and combustion chamber, ofa colring and gasifying retort opening therein,

a positive air blower, an injector exhaust device, apipe connecting the blo-wer with, and terminating in a nozzle in said injector device, an exhaust pipe for volatile gases' connecting the retort with said injector anda pipe leading from the injector to the grate of the fuel chamber for supplying mixed air and gas to a body of incandescent fuel.

8. In a heatv generator, the combinationv with a fuel and combustion chamber, of a coking and gasifying retort opening therein, an injector exhaust device, a positive air g5 blower having a discharge pipe terminating in a nozzle in said device, a gas pipe connecting the retort with said exhaust device, a grate having a Bunsen injector or burner, and a pipe connecting said injector exhaust 9o device with the burner and grate, for supplying a blast of mixed air and gas under pressure to the body of fuel on .the grate andproducing perfect combustion.

9..In a heat generator, the .combination with a fuel chamber and a combustion chamber above the same, of a coking and gasifying retort opening into the fuel chamber, said combustion chamber having a secondary air supply duct or flue and ports opening into the same above the fuel, an injector exhaust device connecting with the retort and having an air inlet, a hollow grate bar having one or more injector burners, and a pipe connecting the injector exhaust device with said hollow bar for producing perfect combustion of the fuel and gases.

10. In-a heat generator, the combinationwith a fuel chamber and a combustion chamber above the same, of av coking and gasify- 11o ing retort opening into the fuel chamber, said combustion chamber having a secondary air-supply duct and ports above the fuel, an air blower, an injector exhaust device, a pipe connecting the blower with the `1.15 exhaust device and a gas pipe connecting the retort with the exhaust device, hollow grate bars, a pipe for gas and air connecting the exhaust device with one of the hollow bars, and an air pipe connecting the blower with other hollow bars, whereby two rates of combustion may be effected and a controlled temperature produced.

11. In a heat generator, the combination with a fuel chamber and a combustion chamber above the same and having a secondary air supply duct and ports, vof a coking'and gasifying retort opening into the fuel chamber, an air blower, an air heater in an outlet fiue for hot gaseous products, a pipe iso connection from the blower to the heater, a In testimony whereof we affix our signa.- pile connecion fromvthe heate'l to sad sectures in presence of two witnesses. on ary air uct, an injector ex aust evice, WALTER THOMAS i e connections from the blower and fr m 5 hs retort to said exhaust device, holliow ALBERT EDWARD MMNWARING' ate bars, and pipe connections respectively Witnesses:

rom theexhaust device and from the blower AUSTIN J. WRIGHT, to said grate bars. J. W. WRIGHT. 

